Selfish
by AmateurSheikah
Summary: Zelda is dating Pipit, Link hates Zelda, Malon is jealous, Ashei can't keep a secret, and Midna's desperately in love. Teenage drama is a mess as it is, but things are going to get a whole lot messier because of a middle school pact that allows each person involved to do one completely selfish thing a year with no repercussions. But really, is any action without consequence?
1. New Year, Clean Slate

Shad's face loomed in the darkness. "Ok," he growled dramatically, "Rule one."

"Shad, knock it off. We've been over this, like, a million times," whined Pipit's voice.

"Oh come on, Pipit. We can't ignore tradition," Ashei snickered, half-serious and half-joking.

Shad nodded, oblivious to her sarcasm. "Yes. I'm just following tradition."

Link huffed. "Follow it faster!"

Shad's face reddened. "Ok, ok! Rule one: each person has exactly one selfish act a year."

The group nodded. Next to her, Zelda heard Malon quietly breathe, " _Duh_."

"Rule two: Selfish acts must only affect those in the group."

Link looked around in the dim light of the flashlight Shad held under his face. In a circle sat Shad, obviously, as well as himself, Pipit, Ashei, Midna, Malon, Groose, Karane, and Zelda. He wasn't exactly a fan of all of them, but like it or not, he was stuck with them.

"Rule three: No secrets. All selfish acts must be recorded─that's my job─and made known to the entire group."

Midna didn't often side with Pipit; she thought he was arrogant and self-centered. It was a mystery what Zel saw in him. However, this time she begrudgingly agreed that going over the rules every single year was pointless.

"Rule four: A selfish act can be a favor asked of one person or the entire group, but you can't ask anyone outside of the group. Clearly."

"I've never understood why that was a rule," Karane chimed in. "Of course we aren't going to ask someone else! They'd think we were crazy." Her words seemed rude, but everyone in the group knew Karane well enough to know that her intention was anything but.

"Rule five: If a selfish act is something asked of the entire group, it must be voted on. The group has the right to refuse," Shad continued, and added, "For all voting, majority rules."

Link smiled to himself. He remembered the first year they did this, and his selfish act was asking all of the girls whether or not they had a crush on him. _Goddesses_ , he thought. _That was dumb._ The group voted it down with all of the girls (and Shad) voting no and the guys voting yes. Truthfully, the only reason he had asked this was to see if Zelda liked him. He had the biggest crush on her at the time. That was the end of seventh grade, and he had yet to learn how annoying she really was.

"Rule six: If a selfish act directly involves money, it must be voted on─regardless of overall agreement or disagreement."

Pipit watched Malon pick at her fingernails across the circle. She had always been a mystery to him. She just had this bitchy vibe. Zelda was friends with her, though, which must count for something. His gaze drifted to Zelda, who sat next to Malon. She noticed him looking at her and gave an adorable small smile. His heart soared. After weeks of flirting and _Get a room!_ 's from their friends, they had finally begun dating two months ago.

"Rule seven: If a selfish act is something asked of one person but they don't want to do it, the group must vote on whether or not the request is reasonable."

Collectively, the group's attention was drawn to Groose. He was the reason this rule was added. He shifted his eyes downward and grunted. The very night this game was started, Groose used his selfish act to ask Zelda to kiss him. Horrified, she refused. Midna quickly suggested rule seven to save her, and it was added immediately.

"Rule eight: If someone's selfish act is not used within the year, it cannot be carried over into the next year."

This time, the attention was on Link and Pipit. They were the reason for that rule. Zelda repressed a laugh as she remembered their indignance when it was added.

Shad took a breath. "And finally, rule nine: no new members in the group." He closed the battered notebook on his lap. He noticed Ashei looking at him. He met her gaze for a moment. Something unspoken seemed to pass between them, and the only other person to notice this was Midna.

Midna felt panic rise within her. Was there something happening between them? Her friends had joked about the two getting together, but if that was a real possibility...Midna didn't even want to think about it. She had kept it secret for so long and she knew it could never happen, but…

Karane glanced at her phone. "Eight minutes to midnight, everyone! New year, clean slate; we can all be selfish again," she giggled. Malon rolled her eyes.

Now that Shad had finished going over the rules, Zelda had broken the circle and crawled over to Pipit. She was now sitting in his lap. Link wrinkled his nose in disgust. He turned to Ashei, who was sitting next to them. "Goddesses, _why_. That's so gross."

"What is? Zelda and Pip?" Ashei responded, tilting her head slightly.

"Are you blind? Next thing they're going to be eating each other's faces on the floor," scowled Link. Ashei watched as Pipit booped Zelda's nose, which caused her to promptly hide her face in her hands.

"Dude. Look at them. It's so innocent!" Ashei said. Link ignored her. He openly stared at the couple, a brooding look on his face.

After a few moments, Ashei smirked. "Keep up being jealous like this, and Pipit will kick your ass to the moon."

Link gave her a scandalized look. " _Jealous_? I hate her! I'm just mad because of all the girls, Pipit falls for the shittiest person in all of Hyrule."

"So you're saying Pipit is too good for her?"

"Yes!"

"But that you're just shitty enough to be a perfect match?"

Link glared at her. He tried to shove her over, but she dodged and shoved him instead.

He was about to retort, but Karane's shout distracted him. "11:59!"

The group made a circle again and quieted. Pipit and Zelda still exchanged flirty looks, while Link gave Ashei murderous ones.

Midna still had a rock of worry sitting on her chest. She needed to talk to someone. The only people she would even consider going to would be Link, Ashei, or Zelda. Link was just...no, and she couldn't exactly talk to Ashei about Ashei. That left Zelda, who was currently lost in her new dreamy boyfriend's eyes. _Fuck_ , _I really am alone,_ she thought.

"10, 9, 8…" Karane began, and the rest of the group joined in. "7, 6, 5, 4…"

Midna didn't feel the usual excitement of New Year's Eve. All she felt was dread. This year was going to suck.

"3!"

Link ran his fingers through his messy, dark blond hair. He needed this year to be good.

"2!"

Zelda barely heard the countdown. All she registered was Pipit's bright blue eyes and perfect smile. She just knew this year was amazing already.

"1!"

"HAPPY NEW YEAR!" chimed the group in unison. Link tried not to gag as Zelda and Pipit shared a passionate New Year's kiss.

Ashei's voice rang out above the chatter. "Let the games begin."

* * *

 **I am so excited for this story! This is my first solo modern AU, so I'm very nervous as well. This was so short because it's just the prologue. That's also why some things (like what Midna is struggling with) are so vague. Everything will make sense soon. Thanks for reading!**


	2. A Bit of Fun

Midna looked around at the colorful storefronts surrounding her and grimaced. She felt an elbow nudge her and turned to see Ashei grinning at her lopsidedly.

"Best day ever, yeah? I bet there's nothing you'd rather be doing than this," she said, gesturing around the mall.

Midna laughed weakly. "T-totally. Nothing better."

She and Ashei watched the other girls ahead of them. Malon, Karane, and Zelda were all chatting excitedly─and pretty much ignoring the two other girls behind them. It was fine, though; Midna preferred it that way.

It was a mystery to her why they even bothered to invite her. Ashei and Zelda were the only ones here she was ever really friends with.

She did like Karane, but she had just never really clicked with her. On the other hand, Malon was an absolute no.

Regardless, Midna knew the only reason she and Ashei had been invited was Zelda. She always made sure she and Ashei were included, even if it made Midna feel like an alien. Ashei didn't fit with them just as much as she did, but it didn't bother her like it bothered Midna.

Ashei seemed to sense her unease. "C'mon," she said. "They won't notice if we break away and do our own thing."

"No!" Midna said quickly. Truthfully, she wanted nothing more than one-on-one time with Ashei, but she just...she just couldn't do it. One-on-one attention required contributing 50% of the conversation, which required functional speech around Ashei. She wasn't in the mood to deal with that kind of embarrassment─especially after learning that she and Shad might be an item.

To her dismay, Ashei looked hurt for a split second before smiling. "Alrighty, no worries. Are you sure you'd really rather stay with them?"

Midna was watching Ashei's mouth as she spoke. Her heart jumped in her chest. It was small and completely adorable. It complemented her soft brown eyes perfectly. Ashei was sooo pretty…

"Midna?"

 _Shit_. "Yeah, sorry?"

"I asked if you're sure you want to stay with the others."

"Oh. Sure. Yes. Spaced out for a second."

Ashei laughed. "I've been there. It's so cute when people do that."

 _Ahhhhhhhhhh_. Cute? Oh, Nayru. Midna laughed too, but it sounded more like a goat that was being throttled. Ashei gave her a funny look. Midna was ready to dissolve on the spot.

"Hey, sorry if we've been ignoring you guys," a new voice said, and both girls snapped their heads toward it. Zelda had broken away from the others.

Midna silently thanked the goddesses for the distraction. "No worries. We were just talking," Ashei responded, and Midna nodded in agreement.

Zelda smiled, relieved. Midna had always thought she was very pretty as well. If Ashei was pretty like the sky at twilight, Zelda was pretty like the middle of a sunny day.

Midna inwardly rolled her eyes. She never had any weird poetic thoughts like that about anything other than girls. It was all mushy and full of emotion. If she had heard anyone else say something like that, she would have openly mocked them.

"Is there a store one of you would prefer we go to?" Zelda asked. She turned to Midna and added, "I know the places we go aren't exactly your thing."

Ashei watched as Midna's face lit up a bit at Zelda's words. She wondered how Link could hate someone so completely _nice_. Well, she knew why. Link was jealous that Zelda had always given Pipit more attention than him, and instead of being all aggressive and moody to the guy dating the girl he had a crush on like any normal hormonal teenage boy, he was aggressive and moody to the girl herself. Ashei thought it was hilarious.

"I don't know, Zel," Midna said. "I feel like if we went to the places I go, they would just, like, silently judge me the whole time. I don't want that." Both Ashei and Zelda knew "they" actually meant "Malon".

Zelda frowned. "Well…" she hesitated. "I wouldn't want to make you uncomfortable, I guess. I just don't want you to be unhappy either, you know?" Zelda put a hand on her cheek and shook her head. "Ah, Farore, this is a mess," she said to herself.

Ashei could tell she was at a loss. "I'll go with Midna wherever she wants," she volunteered. Midna had seemed against the idea before, but this was less for her sake and more for Zelda's.

Both girls looked at her with surprise, but Ashei could tell it was for different reasons. Ashei grinned weakly and added, "Those places are more my forte, too. It'll be fun!"

Zelda beamed. "I didn't want us to be separated, but it seems like it's the only way. Have fun you two! I'll text when we're leaving." She dashed back to Malon and Karane.

Once she was gone, Ashei glanced at Midna. She seemed to be pointedly avoiding her gaze.

 _Great Nayru,_ Ashei thought, _Why does she hate me all of the sudden?_

* * *

Zelda held out a hand as she walked by a rack of silky, colorful shirts. She would never wear anything like them, but they were still fun to touch. Part of why she enjoyed shopping was because of all of the interesting textures on clothing. She had tried to explain it to her friends once, but Karane had just laughed while Malon rolled her eyes.

"Ooooh, Zellie!" Karane squealed from a few feet away. "Look. At. This!"

She held up an oversized pink sweater. Zelda let out a silent gasp. "I love that!"

Karane scurried over to her with the sweater, and Zelda inspected it more closely. The material was slightly fuzzy and extremely soft. The pink wasn't too bright and was further dulled by light gray accents on the collar and sleeves. It was _perfect_.

"Oh, Karane, thank you! I really love this," sang Zelda, hugging the sweater.

Karane giggled and batted a hand at her. "Pshaw! I just happened to find it and think of you."

Malon's voice cut over them. "Will you two cool it? It's a damn sweater."

"We were just having a bit of fun," Zelda said defensively.

Karane's face lit up like she had remembered something. "Speaking of a bit of fun," she began, a mischievous smile appearing on her face, "How's Link?"

Zelda looked between them, trying to understand. _Link?_

Malon slapped a hand to her forehead. "I told you not to say anything."

"Whoopsie! I said something," Karane replied, clearly enjoying herself.

Malon glared at her with such an intensity that Zelda felt like she was being glared at too.

"What am I missing?" asked Zelda.

Unsurprisingly, it was Karane who responded. "After everyone was asleep at the New Year's party, Malon and Link…" she trailed off, raising her eyebrows suggestively.

Zelda's eyes widened in horror. "You guys─?"

"Of course not!" Malon snapped. "We just made out, and the only reason this absolute cuckoo knows─" She gestured toward Karane, who was doubled over with laughter. "─is because she was faking being asleep and saw us."

Zelda felt the weight of what Malon had said fully hit her. One of her best friends had kissed the guy who hated her guts. Actually, not just kissed. _Made out_. Sure, Malon could be a little mean sometimes, but Link...Link was just a dick. She knew she had no right to be, but she felt almost betrayed. She hugged the pink sweater tighter to her chest.

Her disgust and hurt must have shown on her face, because Malon waved a red-fingernailed hand at her said, "I don't know if you're jealous or what, but I hope you know it doesn't really matter to me."

Karane had finally recovered from her laughing fit. "Yeah, Zelda! I mean, you already have a super hot boyfriend. If we were switched, I would be more than satisfied," she added, putting a little too much emphasis on _super hot_ and _satisfied_.

Zelda narrowed her eyes suspiciously at Karane, but Malon cut in again and distracted her. "Well, now that it's out in the open, there's no point in still keeping things from you guys. I'm going over to his house after this. He texted me earlier and said he'd have the place to himself," she divulged coolly.

That was too much. Zelda needed to change the subject. "Have fun, Malon. Anyway, I think I should check up on Midna and Ashei. Be right back."

Karane watched her hastily put the sweater back on a rack and dash out of the store. She felt a bit of guilty satisfaction. She loved Zelda dearly, but she already had everything Karane wanted. She couldn't help but feel annoyed at how Zelda had reacted to the news about Malon and Link. As her golden hair disappeared from sight, Karane huffed. Zelda already had Pipit wrapped around her finger. What did it matter if Link was wrapped around Malon's?

* * *

"You like this band, right?"

Ashei held up a black shirt covered in spiky neon designs and a white logo on the chest. Midna just nodded.

Ashei stuck her tongue in her cheek. She genuinely liked Midna, she really did; she was just hurt because she thought the feeling was mutual. When it was the whole group together, Midna seemed so confident. She was always teasing Link and making jokes with Zelda. Ashei used to think she was in on those jokes as well, but lately, she wasn't so sure.

Midna purposely walked away from her again, pretending to be interested in something across the store. Ashei wasn't fooled. "Hey!"

Midna stopped but didn't turn around. "C'mere," Ashei continued.

Reluctantly, she shuffled back to Ashei, who crossed her arms.

"You gotta tell me what's wrong, yeah?"

Midna bit her lip and tilted her head in such a way that her short, bright orange hair fell over eyes. "Nothing's wrong."

Ashei lightly punched her arm. "Bull _shit_."

Midna had already felt anxious, but now her panic was through the roof. What was she supposed to say? _I'm gay and I think you're really great, but I'm afraid you're dating someone else and that's making me sad._ Sure. As if.

Maybe she could turn the second part into something workable. "You and Shad."

"What?"

Midna tried again. "At New Year's, you guys seemed, I dunno, like you were together or something. Are you?"

The other girl stared at her for a moment, mouth open slightly. Midna could tell that this was not at all what she was expecting to hear. "Me...and...Shad?" she said finally.

"Yes." Midna met Ashei's eyes with more confidence than she really had.

Her words seemed to finally click. "We're not together! That's literally impossible."

Midna was skeptical, and Ashei could tell. "Hang on," she said and pulled her phone from her back pocket. She quickly typed something. She stared intently at her phone screen. Midna was about to ask what she was doing, but Ashei clapped a hand over her mouth. Midna felt her face flush.

Her phone gave a tiny _ping!_ "Ok, he said I can tell you, but only if you promise not to tell anyone. Do you promise?"

"Um, sure. I promise."

Ashei nodded and proceeded to pull Midna into a rack of pants. Midna resisted a yelp of surprise as she realized Ashei's face was only a few inches away from hers. Their legs were touching too, and Ashei hadn't let go of her arm.

Ashei took a breath. Midna felt it gently hit her face and shuddered. "Shad is gay. I found out in early November by accident. I'm the only one that knows."

Midna almost laughed. Of course, she, a gay girl, was jealous of a gay guy. The irony of it almost hurt.

She couldn't say she was surprised about Shad. Thinking back, she had seen him looking at Pipit in the same hopeless way she looked at Ashei. Goddesses, how could she have been so stupid? There was no way he and Ashei were together.

Midna stepped out of the clothing rack─although she definitely would have spent a few hours longer in it with Ashei given the chance─and said, "That makes a lot more sense than what I thought was happening."

Ashei stepped out after her and gave a quiet laugh. "Yeah. Like I said, I found out in November when...er, I just happened to find out. I told him I wouldn't tell anyone, but he didn't seem very reassured. He used his selfish act to make me not to tell anyone."

"I thought his selfish act last year was help moving furniture in his room or something," Midna said, but Ashei cut her off.

"It was a lie. He keeps track of everyone being selfish, so he just recorded something else. I was honestly surprised he hadn't done it before."

In her pocket, Ashei felt her phone buzz for the fifth time. Guilt gripped her. She knew she had promised Shad she wouldn't tell anyone, but telling Midna had seemed like the right thing to do. Sure, Ashei may have told a white lie about Shad saying he was okay with her telling Midna, but at least now Midna was fine, right? She could deal with Shad's angry texts later.

Something else occurred to Ashei. "Even if Shad and I were together, why did it bother you?"

Midna swallowed nervously. "I, uh, well, you're my friend, right? I just was worried you didn't trust me enough to tell me something so important." She was surprised at the words flying out of her.

"Oh no! I'm sorry. I do trust you," said Ashei, putting a hand over her mouth in shock.

"It's no big deal. Everything is good now," Midna replied. She hoped she sounded genuine and _not_ like she was surprised at herself for lying so well.

The two girls continued browsing the store, talking much more than when they had come in. Just as they were about to leave, they were met again by Zelda.

"Oh, hey Zel," Midna said. "Is everything ok?"

Clearly, everything wasn't, but Midna asked anyway to be polite.

"Yes, I'm fine. It's just Malon being Malon and Karane being...jealous, maybe? I'm not sure. Regardless, it's nothing I can't handle," Zelda replied wearily. She rubbed her eye and sighed.

"Oh no. What'd she do this time?" Midna said, exasperated.

Zelda looked grave. "At New Year's after everyone fell asleep, she and Link played a little game of tonsil hockey, but it doesn't end there: she's going over his place after this. Apparently, he 'has the place to himself'."

Midna and Ashei's noses were both wrinkled in disgust. Zelda nodded.

"I thought she was with that creepy older guy!" Midna exclaimed.

"Ingo?" Zelda shook her head. "No, he's long gone."

"Why did Link have pick Malon of all people? He could have at least gone with someone decent like Karane," grumbled Ashei. Zelda looked at her in shock.

"Um, why did _Malon_ have to pick _Link_?" she corrected incredulously. "It would be even worse if it was Karane!" Midna and Ashei exchanged a quick glance, which made Zelda feel defensive. "What? Malon can be a little standoffish, but Link is just an asshole."

Midna snickered. "'A little standoffish'. Ha!"

Zelda was upset now. Why couldn't they see the real reason why this was so bad?

Ashei bit her lip. "Look, Zelda, Midna and I know Link. He's really not a bad guy. I know it's hard for you to see it that way because of how he treats you, but can we just agree that for a number of reasons, Malon and Link are not a good pair?"

Zelda rubbed her eye again. "Fine," she conceded. "But what do we do if they actually become a couple?"

This time, Midna responded. "We wait until Malon cheats or Link annoys her to death. It won't take long. I give it two months, tops."

Zelda swallowed nervously at this. She and Pipit had been together for two months. Were they headed for the same fate as Link and Malon?

She shook the thought away. _No_. Neither she or Pipit would ever cheat, and she was almost certain he didn't find her annoying. If he did, he was one hell of an actor.

Either way, Midna was right. Link and Malon's personalities simply clashed too much for a stable relationship to exist between them. She told Midna and Ashei this, and they both seemed relieved.

"But," Zelda warned, "we're still going to have to deal with the two of them in the meantime. I don't know about you guys, but that doesn't sound like a walk in the park to me."

"I never said it would be," said Midna darkly.

Ashei shook her head. "Maybe we shouldn't be so fast to judge this, yeah? Who knows? Malink could be meant to be."

Midna laughed at this, but Zelda cringed. " _No_ ," she said firmly. "And don't call them 'Malink'."

Ashei snickered. "Why not? It certainly flows better than 'Zelpit'."

Zelda slapped a hand to her forehead and didn't respond. Midna watched her with amusement. Sure, Link and Malon together would be annoying, but beyond that they were harmless. She couldn't see why Zelda was freaking out so much.

"Whatever," Zelda muttered after a few moments.

Oh boy. Midna exchanged a look with Ashei again. She could tell that regardless of what Zelda said, nothing either of them could do would make her feel any better about this.

* * *

 **I really hope this is as fun to read as it was to write. :D If you have any questions or suggestions, don't hesitate to leave a quick review! If you have an account, I'll reply through PM; if you review as a guest, I'll reply at the bottom of the next update. Thanks for reading!**


	3. Bonding Moment

**There's a really mild sexual reference in this chapter. Nothing explicit whatsoever, but I wanted to mention it just to be safe. :)**

* * *

Zelda stared at herself in the mirror. Her eyes scanned the reflection, finding every flaw, every below-average aspect of her appearance, for the thousandth time. It was an awful habit, really. Zelda knew that. However, she had never been one to follow the philosophy that ignorance was bliss. She much preferred to know her faults than for other people to see them.

The thing she despised the very most was her shape. Her body looked like a pear. Overall, she just felt _imbalanced_. On the top, her torso was a board; no boobs, long neck, and she could even pass as thin if she was sitting. The bottom, on the other hand, was a different story. Her hips and thighs looked like they belonged to a different person. She felt fat and undesirable every time she looked at them. For a while, she thought if she lost weight she would finally look normal, but she realized that her hips really were just the Grand fucking Canyon; she would never be any less wide than she already was. That had not been a good day.

Then, the opposite solution was considered. The opposite solution was also quickly deemed to be impossible. Gaining weight wouldn't give her boobs, and even if it did, at what cost? She had heard enough horror stories from Karane, who sat on the line between C and D (Zelda sat on the line between A and boy). No, having bigger boobs was not only impossible; it was also an incredibly stupid wish.

Her father's call from downstairs pulled her out of her small episode of self-loathing. It was the first day of school after winter break. As much as Zelda enjoyed every second away from school, she missed the structure and predictability it gave her. After one last disdainful glance at her reflection, she pulled her sweater over her head and relished the armor-like feeling it gave her. Maybe today would be all right.

Maybe.

* * *

It took Link three tries to successfully shut his car door that morning. Two accidents and the frigid January air didn't quite equal peak performance for his car─or as it was known on mornings like this, his shitbucket.

The engine growled to life as Link shivered. He wasn't sixteen until February, so he technically still only had his temps. He didn't care. Link knew he was better behind the wheel than most adults.

As he pulled out of the driveway, he eyed the house behind his grandmother's that faced the next street over. It was Zelda's. A scowl tugged at his lips as he thought about how he had shared a backyard with her since sixth grade. If hating Zelda was an activity, Link made it his hobby.

He remembered how she had always hung all over Pipit in seventh and eighth grade. It had absolutely infuriated him. If it was anyone but Zelda, Link would have told Pipit just to ask her out and be done with it. However, it was Zelda, so the problem persisted. What angered Link the most was that this problem was a very pretty problem, which meant that he could never truly convince Pipit to solve it. Zelda was both attractive and annoying; two mutually exclusive attributes that her all the easier for Link to hate.

In ninth grade, things seemed to finally be solved as Zelda appeared to lose interest. Link remembered being what some would argue to be almost civil to her during that time. It was a short-lived period, though, because the whole annoying business started up again this school year when she and Pipit began dating.

He saw the entrance to Hyrule High down the road. Alone in his car, Link let out a loud _ha_ of bitter laughter. He had allowed himself to devote another damn car ride to just thoughts of Zelda. At least it was because he hated her and not the opposite.

Yes, he thought. He was decidedly _not_ in love with Zelda.

* * *

"...new game! You should come over after school! Are you even listening, Groose?"

Groose looked up at the sound of his name, causing his upward shock of red hair to wiggle slightly and brush the top of his open locker.

Stritch jumped back dramatically at the sight of Groose. "Woah! Buddy! What happened to your face?"

Groose rubbed the unshaven scruff on his face and cocked an eyebrow. "You like it? I think it gives me a roguish vagabond vibe."

Stritch did not seem to feel a roguish vagabond vibe. "Ummm we should see what Cawlin thinks…?"

Groose did not want to see what Cawlin thought. He slammed his locker shut with an angry grunt.

Wringing his hands nervously, Stritch seemed at a loss for what to do. "It's not bad!" he said finally. "I just don't think you, uh, got the desired effect?"

Groose narrowed his yellow eyes. "Then what effect _did_ I get?"

Stritch muttered something. Groose intensified his glare and Stritch repeated it louder. "Homeless?"

The student-filled hallway quieted for a moment at the sound of Groose's angry roar. When sound returned, he hissed, "Get Cawlin."

Stritch scrambled away obediently. Groose ducked into the bathroom to hide. How could this have happened? He remembered the on the morning of the New Year's party eavesdropping on Malon and Karane whispering about how hot Link was with a shadow of stubble on his jaw. He had even caught _Zelda_ eyeing Link for half a second. It wasn't fair! Link was hot, Groose was homeless.

Cawlin and Stritch bumbled into the bathroom, tripping over each other's feet. "There you are! We─"

Groose cut them off. "I'm skipping geometry to get rid of this," he said, gesturing to his face, "so do my homework for me."

His cronies nodded quickly. Groose knew that the homework wasn't likely to be correct, but he just needed someone to cover for him. He had a C- in geometry anyway.

Cawlin and Stritch stood in front of him, both failing to discreetly look at the evidence of his poor grooming. "What are you waiting for?" he boomed. "GO!"

They immediately obliged, and Stritch even saluted him stupidly before leaving. Groose rolled his eyes. Now he just had to wait for the halls to empty so he could sneak out of the school and shave away his shame.

* * *

Zelda stepped into her first period as the bell rang. Malon had had a wardrobe malfunction that caused her, Karane, and Zelda to nearly be late as they tried to fix it.

She sighed with relief. Her Hylian History teacher, Mr. Kaepora wasn't there yet, so she was in the clear.

She scanned the room for a seat, but to her dismay, they all seemed to be taken. How was that possible? She knew everyone picked their own seat the first day back from winter break, but there still should be enough for everyone in the class. Wait, no, there was one open in the back corner next to─

 _Ah, Din._

Zelda reluctantly trudged to the back of the classroom and gingerly set her bag down on the empty desk. The occupant of the neighboring desk looked up at her with a sour expression.

"Hullo, Link," Zelda monotoned.

"Don't talk to me."

Normally, she would have happily accepted an excuse to ignore Link, but she was already having a bad enough day. This was too much.

"How's your day going?" Zelda asked with false sweetness.

Link ignored her.

"My day isn't going so great, I've gotta say," Zelda continued. "I was nearly late to class, and because of it, I have to sit next to this douchey guy who hates my guts. Anyway, enough about me. How are you?"

"I said don't talk to me."

"Oh, I heard you, I've just elected to ignore it. Like you're ignoring me."

He didn't say anything. Then, after a moment he asked, "How's sucking Pipit's dick for the fourth year in a row? Still good?"

Anger flooded Zelda like a thunderstorm. "How's forcing Malon to suck yours because no one likes you? Still good?" she retorted venomously.

Link chuckled coldly. "Oh, she's definitely not being forced."

Zelda squinched her eyes shut in disgust. "You're repulsive."

"Cool."

"I have a question."

"Cool."

"What in the name of Hylia did I ever do to make you hate me so much?"

Link looked at her and batted his eyes pathetically. "Is this where I admit I don't actually hate you and we have a bonding moment that leaves us as unlikely friends?"

Zelda couldn't help it; she was so angry. She slammed a hand out and knocked his books and binders onto the floor.

Link stared at the pile on the floor. The class had gone silent. "What the _fuck_ , Nohansen?" he yelled.

"Link! I absolutely will not tolerate that sort of language in my class." While he and Zelda had been arguing, Link had failed to notice that Mr. Kaepora had finally made it to his class.

"She knocked my stuff on the floor," Link responded lamely.

Mr. Kaepora looked at the two of them over the top of his glasses. "Both of you will see me after class."

Neither teen responded in their shock. Mr. Kaepora started class and the matter was forgotten.

Link seethed, barely hearing a word Mr. Kaepora said as he retrieved his belongings from the floor. Stupid fucking Zelda had gotten him in trouble. The fact that she was sitting right next to him made everything so much worse.

He looked over, hoping to catch her eye so he could glare daggers at her. She was hunched over her own binder, hands pulled inside her sweater sleeves and a golden curtain of hair covering her face. She moved a bit of hair off her paper, and Link saw that her face was still beet-red from being reprimanded. Good. She deserved to be embarrassed.

At the front of the class, Mr. Kaepora introduced a new unit on the Hyrulean Civil War. The class had waited the entire year for this unit because it led into the era of the Hero of Time, but Zelda couldn't truly appreciate it. Worry clawed at her chest, the hot, shaky beginnings of tears threatening to spill from her eyes. It wasn't fair. She thought she saw Link looking at her, but she didn't dare turn to see. There was absolutely no way she would let him see her cry.

The clock at the front of the classroom ticked away. Finally, when there were only ten minutes left in the class, Zelda had swallowed her anxiety and the heat under her skin ebbed away. She was okay. It was going to be okay.

The bell rang, and the class filed out. Mr. Kaepora looked at Link and Zelda expectantly. Zelda jumped up and nervously approached the desk, whereas Link seemed to amble over to avoid his fate as long as possible.

Mr. Kaepora peered at them through wire-framed glasses perched on the end of his nose. He had a thick, white mustache and an intense gaze that demanded respect from students and teachers alike. "The two of you have never gotten along, have you?"

Zelda stared at the floor as Link nodded. Zelda saw a bronze nameplate on the immaculately organized desk. _Rauru Kaepora-Gaebora_.

Mr. Kaepora continued. "School, especially high school, isn't just about learning math and science and history. You must learn how to coexist with people you would otherwise choose not to coexist with. If you can't do this, you can't properly function in the real world. Do the two of you understand?"

This time, it was Zelda who nodded and Link who stared at the floor. "Link?" the teacher pressed.

Link quietly let out a sharp exhale. He nodded.

"Good!" Mr. Kaepora said, delighted. "Now, I think I'll give the two of you the perfect chance to practice coexisting."

Link looked at him, alarmed, while Zelda pulled her sweater sleeves further over her hands.

Mr. Kaepora smiled. "Detention after school tomorrow! What fun!"

* * *

Pipit waited at his locker. He checked his watch and frowned. He and Zelda always met up after first period. Where was she?

He heard a familiar voice down the hall, but it wasn't Zelda. "What are you even talking about? This is clearly your fault!" Link's angry voice said.

After a moment, Link's voice rang out again. Whoever he was yelling at must have been talking much quieter. "No way, nuh uh. You started it. You wouldn't stop talking to me!"

They were close enough now that Pipit could see Link. He looked to see who he was verbally abusing. Was that _Zelda_?

She seemed to be ignoring Link and met Pipit's eyes down the hallway with a small smile. He hurried over to her and Link.

"Oh, _now_ you won't talk to me," Link growled hotly.

Zelda held up a finger to Pipit with another small smile and turned to Link. "I have every right to talk to you whenever I so choose, just as I have every right to not listen to you yell at me. Now, if you'll excuse me, we're being very rude to Pipit."

She turned to the other boy before Link had a chance to respond. "What happened?" Pipit sputtered.

Link said, "Zelda got us detention," at the same time Zelda said, "Link got us detention."

Pipit looked between them. The hallways were clearing now, so they didn't have much time until second period. "Look, guys, whatever it was, I'm sure it was both of your faults. Now, we need to get to class. Like, ASAP."

Zelda looked at him indignantly but nodded. Link simply clenched his fists and walked away. Their squabbles were nothing new, so Pipit knew not to be concerned.

He grabbed his girlfriend's arm and pulled her toward her next class. She was still sulking, so it took a little effort. Pipit could carry her princess-style if he wanted. He repressed a grin at that thought. He wouldn't _actually_ do it, but it was funny to think about.

* * *

"Shad?" Ashei jumped back to avoid Shad's locker door as it swung open in her face. "C'mon, Shad, it really isn't as bad as you think."

The bespectacled boy turned to face her. His cheeks were tinged pink with anger. "You _promised_ not to tell anyone. You weren't even supposed to know in the first place!"

"Chill, ok? I had to tell her. She thought we were dating!" Ashei responded. She felt guilty, but not telling Midna would have felt wrong too.

He put a shaky hand on his forehead. "Why didn't you just say we weren't? Why did you have to tell her?" he said slowly. Ashei could hear the emotion in his voice.

"I tried. She could tell there was something more."

Shad didn't respond. He turned back to his locker and started grabbing his things as quickly as possible.

"She didn't seem to care! Wait, no, that's not what I meant; I mean that she wasn't bothered or anything. She promised not to tell anyone."

Shad slammed his locker shut. His face had turned even redder. "It wasn't your secret to tell," he shot before walking away.

"Shad, wait!" She ran after him, shoving people out of her way. "I'm sorry!"

He didn't acknowledge her. The warning bell rang, and Ashei gave up trying to get to him.

She didn't want to go to her next class. She found a bathroom and hid in the last stall. Tears dripped down her cheeks. She told Midna, and now Shad was angry. If she hadn't told her, Midna wouldn't trust her. Both options seemed shitty. Ashei couldn't help but feel that either way, she would still be skipping class and crying in a bathroom right now.

She pulled out her phone. _how do you feel about ditching?_ she typed quickly, wiping a tear off her phone screen as she hit send.

Midna's response came almost immediately. _i feel great abt it :)_

Ashei couldn't help but laugh. She wiped the tear stains off her cheeks. Her phone buzzed again. _meet at my locker?_

She heaved a calming breath. Everything was going to be ok.

* * *

 **Thanks for reading! If you have any questions, comments, or constructive criticism, feel free to leave a review!**


	4. Mean and Horny

"That's literally the stupidest thing I've ever heard."

"I highly doubt that. You're using the word literally wrong."

"Do you like, get off on correcting grammar?"

Mr. Kaepora slammed a hand on the table. "Both of you, quiet! I gave you the simplest of simple tasks, and all you've managed to do is argue more. What were you _supposed_ to be doing?"

"Finding something we have in common," Zelda muttered. Link only crossed his arms.

"Precisely." Mr. Kaepora returned to his desk at the front of the room, leaving the two teenagers sitting in desks that had been pushed together near the back. "Start from the beginning again, children. Introduce yourself, and say three things you like."

They were only five minutes into their detention, but Link felt that was five minutes too long with Zelda. Why couldn't Kaepora just put them in opposite corners of the room or switch one of their classes like a normal teacher?

Zelda glared at the boy across from her. When they had introduced themselves the first time, Link had said the three things he liked were girls, sleeping in, and the absence of Zelda─or, as he had put it, "A Zelda-less space." Suddenly, an idea came to her.

"I know what we have in common," she announced. "We don't like each other."

To her great surprise, Link actually snickered. "Do you think he'll count that?"

"I doubt it, but it's worth a shot." She gave a sheepish smile.

Link shook his head. "Man, if you get me out of detention after only five minutes, I might consider only strongly disliking you instead of hating you."

They approached Mr. Kaepora's desk, and Zelda cleared her throat. "Sir, we know what we have in common."

The teacher raised an eyebrow expectantly. "We both hate each other's guts," he said bluntly.

"...And?" Mr. Kaepora's tone was expectant. What else could there be?

"And what?" Link was getting annoyed now. "What else is there? Sorry, but I'm not going to go over favorite colors and best ice cream flavors."

Next to him, Zelda clapped her hands together. "I get it now!"

Link stared at her. His expression must have seemed hostile because she seemed embarrassed.

"Um, at least I think I get it." She turned to Kaepora. "You know we both don't like each other, but you also know we both don't want to be here. Your ultimate goal is us getting along. I think you're trying to force us to work together against a common enemy, in this case being you and detention. Right?"

Mr. Kaepora looked pleased. "You certainly caught on quickly. Not that I'm surprised; you really are quite bright, Miss Nohansen."

Zelda looked pleased. She tucked her hair behind her ear and was smiling slightly. Link narrowed his eyes. She's done playing teacher's pet and being a good noodle; when were they allowed to leave?

He asked, and Kaepora gave him an unreadable look. Zelda stepped on his foot discreetly. What was their problem? It was a valid question.

Finally, Mr. Kaepora said, "I don't think so, Mr. Hero. Standard detention is usually thirty minutes."

Link nodded and shoved his hands into the pocket of the hoodie he was wearing. "This isn't going to work," he muttered.

"It certainly won't if you don't put in the same effort as Miss Nohansen," said the teacher tersely. "I must say, she seems much more receptive than you. Much more willing to make an effort."

"Oh, please. She's just doing what she has to to get out of detention as fast as possible so she can go home and lie to her dad about why she was at the school so late. What was it you told Pipit you were going to say? 'Tutoring someone in math'?" chided Link.

Zelda rolled her eyes. "Sorry, who was it that asked when we could leave two seconds in?"

"It was literally your idea to say that the thing we had in common was not liking each other to get out faster!"

"You're still using that word wrong."

Mr. Kaepora stood up, his chair rolling back and hitting the wall with a thud. " _Stop_ , both of you. Since all you two seem to do is argue, you will no longer be allowed to talk. Do I make myself understood?"

Zelda and Link nodded, both of their mouths shut tight. They wore matching indignant expressions.

"Good." The history teacher grabbed his chair and calmly sat down again. "Now, continue trying to find things you have in common. No words, written or spoken. Pictures are acceptable─so long as they're not rude, that is. Go."

They shuffled back to their seats in the back of the room. Immediately after sitting down, Zelda opened her backpack and rummaged around before producing a green notebook with the word 'Biology' neatly printed on the cover. She flipped open to the last page and pulled a pencil out from behind her ear. Link tried to make sense of what she had begun drawing, but upside down, all he could say for sure was that she was drawing stick figures.

After a moment, she turned the notebook so it was facing him. On the lined page was a clean drawing of five stick figures. Two of them, a man and a woman, were farther from the rest and had X's over them. The other three figures were a woman with lines on her face, a boy that had what Link guessed was supposed to be his bangs, and a smaller girl with short pigtails. Next to her drawing, Zelda had written a question mark.

Zelda had seemed to decide that the best place to start looking for what they had in common was family. Link knew the line-faced woman and the little girl were his grandmother and sister. The crossed out man and woman were probably his parents, who were dead. The question mark was Zelda asking if what she had drawn was correct. Link looked up at her and nodded.

He took the pencil out of her hand and began to draw his own version for her. The stick figures looked a lot worse. He was grateful real people didn't actually have arms this long compared to their bodies. When he turned the notebook around, he had drawn a man and a woman standing on both sides of a girl with a little Z drawn in her circle head. He hadn't known how to individualize the stick figure to look like her as she had done for him.

Zelda looked at the drawing for a moment before gently taking back the pencil and crossing out the woman. What? He had thought for sure he had seen Zelda's mother before. She was a tall, strong looking woman with silver hair.

However, that wasn't exactly a fact he could dispute. He instead took the pencil back and circled both of the crossed out women; one on his drawing, and one on hers. Something they had in common.

Zelda nodded. Her eyes seemed sad as she looked at the drawings, but she gave a small smile and the feeling was gone. Picking up the notebook, she turned the page so the other side of the paper they had been working on was now facing up.

They continued this way, Zelda drawing things about her life and Link drawing things about his, for the rest of their detention. Link was surprised to find that this was the least he had hated Zelda since he had had a crush on her in middle school. He could hear Ashei's voice in his head saying some other dumb thing that implied that he was in love with Zelda. She had done this since he had made the mistake of telling her he had a crush three years ago. It had never stopped annoying him, and it got especially bad when he had stopped liking her. Sure, Zelda was moderately attractive, but he really and truly didn't like her anymore. Not as a friend, and definitely not as anything more. Ashei would have to see that eventually.

"I'm impressed, you two," Mr. Kaepora said after calling them up to his desk. "You may go. I'll see both of you again tomorrow afternoon."

"But sir," Zelda said tentatively, as if she wasn't sure she was allowed to speak, "our class is in the morning."

"I'm well aware, Miss Nohansen. I meant for another detention."

* * *

Din, Nayru, and Farore. He was so _hot_. Karane tried not to swoon as she laughed at Pipit's joke.

She always relished this part of the day. She and Pipit lived in the same neighborhood, which was also the last stop on their bus. 45 minutes of Pipit's attention five days a week. It couldn't get any better.

Well, it could. It definitely could. He could realize his undying love for her and break up with Zelda, but Karane didn't see that as a very likely occurrence.

Their stop was coming up. Pipit glanced out the window for the first time since pulling out of the high school. Time seemed to fly on the bus when he was talking to Karane. He used to think she was kind of an airhead, but lately, it seemed as if there was more to her than he thought.

The bus rolled to a stop. A few people here and there stood up and made their way down the aisle to the front of the bus. Among them was Shad, a good friend of Pipit's. He would have sat with Shad instead, but Karane offered him the seat next to her. Who was he to refuse?

Pipit and Shad fist-bumped as he walked past. It was a practiced gesture that almost felt lazy. Pipit loved moments like that. Evidence of casual closeness between his friends always made him happier than grand gestures. He just liked the instinctual thoughtlessness of it. They weren't choosing to be his friends; they just _were_.

The bus started moving again, and Karane turned her phone to show him a funny picture she had found. Their laughter filled the almost-empty bus.

Karane showed him another picture, and as she did Pipit felt his phone buzz in his pocket. He pulled it out. It was from Zelda.

He looked at Karane's phone and snickered. The picture reminded him of a story that he wanted to tell.

Glancing at the notification again, Pipit guiltily slipped the phone back into his pocket. Zelda could wait.

* * *

Zelda walked out of the high school feeling relieved. Link always made her anxiety levels spike. They were walking next to each other in complete silence, even though they were allowed to talk again. It reminded her of when you were in an elevator with someone whose face you knew but not their name.

Midna and Pipit had always been so close to Link, but Zelda could never understand how that was possible. Getting to know him seemed like trying to climb a barbed wire fence. She realized thinking this was sort of hypocritical considering all they had shared in detention, but that had only been basic facts. They hadn't even been talking either. It didn't count.

Sitting on a green bench in the chilly January air, Zelda watched as Link got into his crappy looking car and drove away. She desperately wanted her temporary driver's license. She was technically old enough─she had turned 15 and a half on January 8th─but her father wouldn't let her anywhere near the driver's seat until she was 16. Any attempt to change this only ended in fighting.

Her teeth were chattering by the time her ride pulled up. Heat blasted her face as she opened the door to the backseat and climbed inside. The person in the passenger seat turned to look at her.

"Brrr. Your nose and cheeks are all red, Zelda."

"Well, duh. It's cold."

Malon looked at her reproachfully. "I know that."

Malon's older sister Romani is driving. Romani, Malon, and their younger sister Cremia all look like identical copies of one another. Romani's eyes are brown and Cremia has freckles, so they aren't _exactly_ alike, but Zelda still thought it was creepy.

In the front seat, Malon was typing away at her phone. Zelda's hands were still too numb to pull her own phone out, so she stared out the window instead.

"Did I tell you what happened last time Link and I hung out?" Malon asks, her voice suggestive. It was like she wanted everyone to want to know.

"Oooh, no you didn't. Spill," Zelda said, feigning interest. It was easier to lie.

Malon turned around to face the backseat. "He had to _sneak out_."

My eyebrows shoot up. Now she actually had my attention.

"We were making out in my room, like usual, but I heard something downstairs. Next thing I know, my dad is coming up the steps saying he got home early and I'm shoving Link into a closet. It was like, straight out of a movie or something." Malon says all of this with a look of glee on her face. Ever since I've known her she's loved drama. Especially her own.

I know she probably texted Romani about this right after it happened. She's in college her second year of college and Malon tells her absolutely everything.

"So, I finally get my dad back downstairs," she continues, "but Link is still upstairs. At this point, I'm thinking, 'Why not just go full cliché and have him jump out the window?' So, I open up the closet super quietly…" She continues her story, and─to my dismay─spares no details. I don't care that I'm in a relationship and this is hypocritical to say; high school couples are _gross_.

I think about Pipit. He isn't gross. In fact, I think he's quite the opposite. I still have no clue why he dates someone like me. I text him, saying that Malon is talking about her relationship with Link. He and I both think it's a disastrous pairing.

We ride on for a few minutes, Malon still recounting her dramatic tale. Pipit doesn't respond, even though I know he's still on the bus home. He always complains about how long the ride is.

I'm impatient. I text Midna instead, who responds immediately. She offers to video chat, and I tell her to wait until I'm home.

Malon has only just reached the part of her story where Link leaves through her window. Apparently, they had time to swap spit again before he left. It was hard for Zelda not to gag as Malon tried to describe how Link's lips tasted. Great Hylia, she thought she'd rather dissolve on the spot than keep listening to this, gross gross gross─

After far too long of a car ride, Romani finally pulled up to Zelda's driveway. She climbed out of the car with a hasty goodbye and ran up to the front door. Neither her father or Impa was home, so she pulled her key out of her backpack and unlocked the door.

Warmth hit her as she stepped inside. She sighed with relief and unzipped her light jacket. She knew getting a warmer one would be smarter, but they were all puffy and looked like a third grader's.

Sometimes, coming home made her feel guilty. Looking around her house always emphasized how privileged she was compared to most of the people she knew. Her house was huge. More than once she had been casually dubbed a "rich kid". One of her biggest fears was fitting the snobby and stuck up stereotype associated with the title.

She made popcorn in the kitchen before going upstairs to her room. She passed by Impa's room in the hallway. As usual, the door was shut. She was an old friend of her parents and had moved in with Zelda and her father after Zelda's mother had died. Before that, seeing Impa had been a special occasion as she had lived far away in Kakariko.

Zelda stepped inside her room and was filled with sweet relief. Her phone buzzed in her pocket, and she pulled it out to see a text from Midna asking if they were still going to video chat. Zelda thought of her backpack guiltily. Homework could wait.

She sat on her bed and opened the video chat app. She turned up the volume on her phone and listened to the little calling jingle as she waited for Midna to pick up.

"Hey, girl, heyyy." Midna's voice filled the quiet space. On the screen, her short orange hair was messy and sticking out in all directions.

"What the hell happened to your hair?" Zelda exclaimed, laughing.

Midna shrugged. "You likey?"

"No, I don't 'likey'. Weird."

"So what was up with Malon? All you said was she was TMI-ing about her and Link."

Zelda perched the phone on her nightstand and crawled into her bed. Grabbing her bowl of popcorn, she said, "Yeah, that's pretty much it. I'll spare you the details like I wish she had with me."

"I appreciate it."

"It's just so strange. It's like hearing stories about a completely different person than the one I know."

"In his defense, Link hasn't really given you the chance to know him. The only side you know is his mean side."

Zelda snorted. "He really only seems to have two sides; mean and horny."

"Aw, Zel. That's not true. Every teenage boy has those sides. I promise you he's more complex than that."

There was silence. Zelda stared into her half-empty popcorn bowl with a troubled expression. "Why does he hate me so much?" she asked in a small voice.

A sigh crackled from her phone. The signal had weakened, so her friend's face on the screen was displayed in a low resolution. "Link is like a puppy that barks at every single person who enters the room. He's wary of absolutely everyone, even Pipit and me at times. Eventually, he'll grow up and realize that you're not a threat."

Zelda took this in for a moment before muttering, "He seems more like a wolf to me. Aggressive and ruthless."

Midna let out a small exhale of amusement. "He'd be a very stupid wolf."

Zelda told Midna about her detention and how Pipit still hadn't responded, and Midna talked about skipping class with Ashei. Half an hour seemed to pass in the blink of an eye.

"Oh, shoot. I need to do my homework before Impa gets home." Zelda cracked a popcorn kernel in her mouth. "I gotta go."

"No problem," Midna said, and seemed to hesitate before adding, "Can I talk to you about something really quick?"

Zelda nodded. It wasn't like Midna to ask before telling her something. This must be serious.

"I, um...I… Nevermind." Midna's usually confident voice shook with unsureness.

Zelda wanted to press her but knew better. "It's ok. You can tell me some other time?"

Midna's tiny face on the phone screen smiled. It didn't seem genuine. "Yeah. Maybe."

* * *

Shad's ankles were numb. The sidewalks in his neighborhood still weren't shoveled, even though it had snowed three days ago. His shoes were soaked through with melted snow.

The bus ride had been lonely without Pipit. He had spent the entire time doing homework with earbuds jammed in his ears. Shad had never really loved music the way other people had. He just played whatever was popular or recommended to him. As a result, he associated music with times when he had no one else to talk to. He felt pathetic.

He was worried about Pipit. They had been friends for years, and Shad knew him well enough to recognize when he was flirting. Even if he hadn't known, it didn't take a genius to see how he had been charming Karane on the bus. The guy had a girlfriend, for goodness sake. Shad didn't know Zelda well, but she had always been kind to him. He didn't want to see her get hurt.

When he got home, Shad took off his shoes and hobbled to the heating vent on the floor. He stood on the grate until he could feel his feet again. There was a mirror nearby on the wall. He glanced at his reflection and winced. Sometimes, he worried people could see through him, that they knew everything about him with a single look. The thought terrified him.

He thought about Ashei, and his lonely feeling from the bus came back. They hadn't spoken since the day before when they had argued at his locker. Less than 48 hours and he already missed her.

Maybe...maybe Ashei was right. It probably wasn't the end of the world that Midna knew he was─that Midna knew his secret. She had never given him any reason not to trust her.

He felt foolish now. He had been a dick to Ashei for a stupid reason. She had been his ally and closest friend. How could he have dismissed her so easily?

He pulled out his phone and opened her icon in the messages app. She had texted him seven separate times to apologize again over the last day and a half. He started to type out a long message but deleted it halfway through. Instead, he typed _I'm sorry._ and hit send.

Ashei's response came almost immediately.

 _i know. it's ok_

* * *

 **I cackled when I picked the name for this chapter. Hehe. You're welcome.**

 **I also workshopped the synopsis. The old one seemed too dramatic and didn't fit the lighter tone I try to give this story. I like the new one a lot more, and I hope you all do too.**

 **As always, thank you so much for your support! :D**


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